Dental plugger.



A. BUSH.

DENTAL PLUGGER.

APPLwATloH FILED JULY 3o, 1902.

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UNITED STATES Patented June 30, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

ALDEN BUSH, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHARLES A. HAI/VLEY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

DENTAL PLUGGER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 732,044, dated June 30, 1903. Application filed July 30,1902. Serial No. 117,593. (No model.)

To all whom, it mfc/y concern:

Be it known that I, ALDEN BUsH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio,

` have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Dental Pluggers, ot which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

1o The object of my invention is to do away with many of the diticulties which are present in dental pluggers now in use and to provide one which will meet all the demands of the operator.

I5 I have used in the following description the terms touch-stroke and stipple-stroke. In order that the description may be perfectly clear and that persons using my invention may understand what I mean when I use zo them, I will describe the same. By a touchstroke I mean a stroke which is received by the filling when the plugger-point is permitted to continuously rest upon it and the hammer allowed to hit the pin. This operation would of course convey a sort of tamping action to the lling. By the other expression, stipple-stroke, I mean a stroke whereby the illing is battered upon its face, and this sort of stroke is obtained by holding the 3o plugger-point away from the filling and allowing the hammer to hit the plugger-pin, so as to drive the point against the surface ot' the filling.

According to my invention the operator may 5 5 by one arrangement of the instrument obtain a touch-stroke or a stipple-stroke, as desired. By another arrangement he may obtain a stipple-blow, a touch-blow, or he may stop the vibration of the hammer within the plug- 4o ger altogether for the purpose of manipulating the filling Within the tooth. Other varied strokes and arrangements may be had by placing the finger upon an acorn-nut provided upon the plugger-pin, the foregoing objects being attained by the invention fully set forth and described in the following specication and claims, and illustrated in the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a 5o complete view showing the device. Fig. 2 is a View of some of the parts in their relation within the casing. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectionalview showing all the parts, and Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 44 ot' Fig. 3.- These views are double the actual size of the instrument and are so made to more plainly show the construction.

Referring to the parts by letters, the casing is divided into three portions--a, which is the upper portion, a', which is the inter- 6o mediate or movable portion for adjusting the tension of the spring on the hammer, and a2, which is the swiveled sleeve portion forming a suitable gripping medium for the device and also serving to manipulate the pluggerpoint and work upon the filling. The upper portion a is of substantially the form shown, having the enlarged internally-screw-threaded portion a3 and the two reduced portions o4 and o5. Within the reduced portion a4 7o is an operating-sleeve B, which is integral with a shaft b, adapted to rotate within the portion a5. In the screw-threaded portion a3 of the upper portion is secured the hammercasing C. This casing is substantially uniform throughout its length and has at its upper end a plug c, which is providedwith slots c5 and a central opening c2. The case C is further provided with longitudinal slots cs. The lower end of the casing is closed by a 8o plug c4, which is threaded into the same, said plug having a central opening and an external annular groove c6 in an enlarged portion thereof. Located within this hammer-casing C isa hammer D, which normally rests against the lower plug c4 of the hammer-casing and is retained in this position by the tension of a spring d, which surrounds a stem d of the hammer and bears against the enlarged hammer-head, and a collar cl2, having wings d3, 9o which project through longitudinal slots in hammer-casing and are externally threaded for engagement with the threaded casingsection o'. This winged collar is loose upon the stem d. This stem 'CZ' projects up through 95 the opening c2 in the upper plug c and eX- tends into the tubular end B ot the rotating driving-shaft. This hammer-stem is provided with a cross-pin d6, which operates in theslots c5, and with acam C17, pinned to the upper end roo thereof. The cross-pin d6, operating in the slot c5, permits the hammer-stem to move up and down and at the same time prevents the rotation of said stem and the hammer itself. Between this cam CF and the plug c andwithin the sleeve B are interposed two cams d4 and d5, d4 being a double-faced idle cam, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, and d5 being a cam opposite in arrangement to the cam C17 and secured in the lower end of the sleeve B.

On the outside of the hammer-casing C is secured an abutting ring E, which is pinned to said casing and forms an abutment for a coiled spring e, which surrounds the hammercasing. The intermediate portion a of the casing also surrounds the hammer-casing, and a shoulder a6 receives the thrust of the other end of the spring 6 thus forcing said intermediate portion a' of the casing upward against the lower end of the upper portion a of the casing. Suitable teeth 0L8 are provided between these portions for locking them against relative rotation.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that should it be desirable to change the tension of the spring e upon lthe hammer the intermediate ortionvct' of the casing m be` pulled down until the teeth a.B disengage, when said portion of the casing may be rotated and the winged collar d2 will move endwise, and thus change the tension of the spring as desired. The swiveled sleeve portion a2 of the casing is secured to the hammer-casing by means of a pin d10, which screws into the said sleeve-casing and projects into the annular groove cof the plug c4. Within the lower part of this sleeve portion a2 of the casing is the plugger-pin F, which is of substantially the form shown in Fig. 2, having a central opening f for the insertion of suitable pluggerpoints, a shoulder f to form a bealing for the end of aspringfz, which in turn takes against the base of the plug c4, the tendency of this spring being to force the plugger-pin outward, and suitable clutch-jaws f6, which are forced together by means of an acorn-nutf", screwed thereon. The plugger-pin is further provided with slots f4 and f5. A.A pin a9, screwed into the swiveled portion ce2 of the casing, is arranged to engage either of the slots f4f5, as desired. The plugger-pin is normally out of engagement with the hammer D.

The operation of the device is as follows: Motion is conveyed to the shaft b in any suitable manner. The rotation of this shaft operates the sleeve B, which is rigidly secured to the cam d5. This cam when moving in one direction will engage the floating cam d4 and rotate the same until the abrupt faces of the cam d4 and cl7 pass, when the cam d7 will drop from the highest point of the cam d4 by the tension of the spring d on the head of the hammer, thus allowing the hammer to descend and convey a stroke to the pluggerpin should the pin he in a position to receive the stroke. If the shaft is rotated in the contrary direction, the cam d5 will travel to the rupt faces and alike impulse be conveyed to the hammer.

The-instrument may be used in several different ways. The pin a9 may be arranged to engage the lslot f4, as shown, in which case the operator may place his finger upon the acorn-nut f3 and retain the plugger-pin carrying the plugger-point in an outward position out of range of the hammer for the purpose of manipulating the filling in the tooth or for any other reason. If he should desire to use a stipple-stroke, the plugger-pin is drawn inward by the finger into range with the hammer, when said pin will receive the propel' impulses therefrom, or he may apply the plugger-point to the filling, press the instru me-nt forward, and convey a touch-stroke to the filling. .It will be noted that during all of these arrangements the hammer has been operating and a certain amount of vibration is conveyed to the entire instrument. On the other hand, the pinet may be arranged to operate in connection with the slot f5, in which instance the operator can leave the pin in its outward position outof range with the hammer by placing'his finger upon the acorn-nut and using the instrument to manipulate the filling, or he may press in the plugger-pin clear through to the end of the slot, which operation raises the hammer and lifts the cam @Z7 out of engagement with the other cams, thus stopping the operation of the hammer. The finger may be gradually moved so as to allow the plugger-pin to return to its normal position by degrees, accordingly as it is desired to obtain astrong or a weak stroke of the hammer upon the pin. The operator may also permit the plugger-pin to assume any relation with respect to the hammer by using his finger, by which a stipple or a touch stroke may be obtained, as desired.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. In a dental plu gger, the combination with the casing consisting of a fixed portion, a relatively rotatable intermediate portion, means for locking the said parts together and a portion swiveled to said fixed portion of a plugger-pin capable of moving longitudinally only therein, a spring holding said plugger-pin normally out of range of the hammer, a reciprocating hammer, a spring acting to move said hammer forward, a rotatable shaft, cams operatively connected with said shaft and hammer and coperating to draw the hammer back and then release it to the action of its spring, and a regulating device for the ham mer-spring in connection with said intermediate portion, substantially as described.

2. ln a dental plugger the combination of\ a casing consisting of a fixed portion carrying a rotatable shaft, an intermediate or movable portion and a portion swiveled'to the fixed portion, of a plugger-pin normally held out of range with the hammer, a reciprocating hammer, means for operating and regulating the stroke of the same, and teeth provided between said fixed portion and said intermediate portion of said casing, substantially as described.

3. In a dental plugger, the combination of a casing consisting of a fixed portion carrying a rotatable shaft, an intermediate or movable portion, and a portion swiveled to the iXed portion, of a plugger-pin movable longitudinally only in said swiveled portion, a spring whereby said plugger-pin is normally held out of engagement with the hammer, a hammercasing Secured to the fixed portion and having longitudinal slots, a hammer having a stem mounted in said casing to have longitudinal movement therein, a winged collar on said stem and having its wings threaded into said intermediate portion of said casing, teeth provided between said intermediate portion and said iixed portion of said casing whereby they may be locked, and cam con- 4 nections between said hammer-stem and said shaft whereby motion is conveyed to the hammer, substantially as described.

4. In a dental plugger, the combination of a casing consisting of, first, a fixed portion having teeth on its inner edge; second, a movable intermediate portion havingcoperatingteeth on its proximate edge and having internal screw-threads, and, third, a swiveled portion, with a hammer-casing secured to the iixed portion and having longitudinal slots, a longitudinally-movable hammer mounted in said hammer-casing, a collar surrounding the hammer-stem and having threaded wings which extend through the slots in the hammer-casing and engage the internal threads of the intermediate portion of the outer casing, a spring thrusting against a shoulder on the hammer and against said collar, a spring acting upon the intermediate portion of the outer casing to hold it in engagement with the fixed part of said outer casing, a reciprocating plugger-pin mounted in the swiveled part of the outer casing, a spring normally holding the same out of range of the 11ammer, means preventing the rotation of said plugger-pin within the swiveled part of the casing and limiting its longitudinal movement, a shaft rotatably mounted in the fixed part of the casing, and means intermediate of the shaft and hammer whereby the rotation of the shaft rapidly withdraws the hammer and releases it to the action of its spring, substantially as speciiied.

5. In a dental plugger, the combination of a casing consisting of, iirst, a fixed portion; second,an internally-threaded relatively movable intermediate portion adapted to be locked to said fixed portion, and, third, a swiveled portion, with a hammer-casing secured to the fixed portion and having longitudinal slots, a longitudinally-slotted plug closing the upper end of said hammer-casing, a hammer longitudinally movable in said hammer-casing and projecting through said plug, a cross-pin carried by said hammer and movable in the slot in said plug, a tension-collar embracing the hammer-stem and having wings which pass through the slots in the hammer-casing and engage with the internal threads in the intermediate portion of the outer casing, a hammer-operating spring confined between said tension-collar and a shoulder on the hammer, a plugger-pin longitudinally movable in the swiveled part of the outer casing, a spring normally holding it out of range of the hammer, means preventing the rotation of said plugger-pin within said casing and limiting its longitudinal movement,I a shaft mounted in the fixed end of the outer easing and having a tubular inner end, a cam secured to said tubular end of the shaft and through which the hammer-stem passes, a double-faced cam loosely mounted in the shaft end and embracing the hammer-stem, and a cam projection fast on the hammer-stem with which the last-named cam may engage.4

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ALDEN BUSH. Witnesses:

IRA H. ORUM, FRANK M. RAYMOND. 

